The present invention relates to a device for preventing inadvertent erasure of a tape in a bi-directionally operable magnetic recording/reproducing apparatus.
A tape cassette for use with a cassette type recording/reproducing apparatus is provided with a detecting portion having therein a removable lug. When the detecting portion from which the lug is removed engages with an actuating lever of the recording/reproducing apparatus for sensing the detecting portion, the actuating lever is positioned in a recording preventing position so that the recording mechanism coupled with the actuating lever is rendered inoperative so as to prevent the inadvertent erasure of the information recorded on the tape having been recorded. When the lug remains in the detecting portion, the actuating lever sensing the detecting portion having such a lug is positioned in the recording permitting position so that the recording mechanism is allowed to be rendered operative for recording desired information on the tape.
In a bi-directionally operable recording/reproducing apparatus of the cassette type, the direction of feeding of the tape in the tape cassette is automatically reversed by a reversing mechanism in the apparatus without requiring removing and placing of the cassette in the inverted position after the feeding thereof in one direction has been completed, while the input terminals of the recording/reproducing head are automatically switched so as to permit the recording/reproducing operation to be carried out during the feeding of the tape in one direction and in the opposite direction.
Thus, it is desired to provide a device for preventing the recording button from being actuated regardless of the direction of feeding of the tape insofar as the actuating lever senses the detecting portion having no lug indicating that the erasure of the tape is inhibited.
The prior art device for preventing inadvertent erasure of the tape in a bi-directionally operable recording/reproducing apparatus is very complicated in construction and, hence, is very expensive.
The present invention aims at avoiding the disadvantages in the prior art device of the type described above.